On Media

Trump, Clinton take their campaigns to the morning shows after Orlando shooting

By KELSEY SUTTON

06/13/2016 10:56 AM EDT

After 49 people were killed in Orlando Sunday in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took their personalities and policy proposals to the morning shows across network and cable news. It was a contrast to the TV coverage that followed the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium in March, in which Trump phoned into nearly every morning show early on, while Clinton and the other Republican candidates rushed to get on the air after his media blitz.

Both Trump and Clinton called into the flagship morning programs on the broadcast networks. The candidates called into NBC's "Today" show, ABC's "Good Morning America" and CBS's "CBS This Morning" during the 8 o'clock and 9 o'clock hours.

On cable news, the appearances were uneven. Both candidates called into CNN's "New Day," but while Clinton also called into MSNBC's morning program "Morning Joe" during the program's 8 o'clock hour, Trump — formerly a frequent call-in guest on the morning program — was notably absent. In recent weeks, he has criticized the show and its hosts on Twitter. And on Fox News, Trump and several surrogates called into "Fox & Friends" in the 7 AM hour, while Clinton did not make an appearance.

Trump has for months made the habit of calling into shows to discuss the day's events, while Clinton has been slower to pick up the somewhat unconventional tactic. After 31 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in the Brussels attack, Trump jumped on the line almost immediately with network and cable news to discuss the terror attacks, while Clinton began making the rounds later on in the morning.